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• Onitsha medicine market records turnaround one year after explosion
From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
One year after tragedy struck at Ogbo Ogwu market, Bridge Head, Onitsha , Anambra State, the leadership of the market has not only stirred the fortunes of the traders out of the incident but recorded several milestones in changing the narratives for the better in the multi billion naira market.
•Chukwuneta and some members of the market executives
The chemical explosion which rocked the market on November 8 2022 shook the foundation of various stalls in the market, including the secretariat of the market union.
The fire that followed the explosion destroyed shops and goods worth several millions of naira while the rubble of the destroyed buildings also left fatalities and injuries on some of the traders.
It was a trying moment which led to temporary closing of the market while the Soludo administration ordered evacuation and other remedial works including fumigation of the entire market before business could resume in the market.
That was when the market leadership, under Ndubisi Chukwuneta, undertook the tasks headlong in order to restore normalcy.
One year after, the leadership recently took stock of what has transpired so far in the market and came up with so many testimonies of not only overcoming the scars of the sad moment but also triumphing in various other sectors of leadership in the market.
Speaking to the reporter, Ndubisi Chukwuneta recalled that it was the water from the borehole provided by the market executives who were a few months in office then that was used in quelling the fire from the chemical explosion before the state fire service was contacted for further actions.
Chukwuneta said the leadership came prepared to serve in office from day one drawing inspiration from the Governor Chukwuma Soludo administration’s positive ideas.
He recalled that the explosion happened when the leaders were about holding their weekly meeting inside the secretariat office when suddenly the blast occurred.
“But we said we will use the challenge as a launch pad to unleash other aspects of our leadership going forward. We thank God for our miraculous escape from the incident. We would have been victims because we were about to start the meeting when the explosion occurred and destroyed everything.
“We started afresh after the incident by re-roofing the secretariat which was affected badly by the impact of the blast. Clearing and evacuating the debris after the incident cost us over N6million while we spent additional N5million plus to renovate the secretariat totally. Today we can boast of a standard edifice with office fixtures like conference halls, public address system, electricity and functional water closet toilet system.”
He said the market leaders, under him, abolished all forms of levies on the traders but rather resorts to donation and goodwill from friends, supporters and companies to run its affairs.
He said that the leadership has also stamped its feet to ensure that a conducive environment is provided in the market for residents and visiting customers who patronise the market.
He also said the market leadership has zero tolerance for anything fake, pirated or cloned .
Chukwuneta disclosed that the synergy existing between the market leadership and the regulatory body NAFDAC has paid off tremendously as they hand over to NAFDAC any form of fake drugs intercepted while such culprits are punished accordingly.
“Governor Soludo has shown that a new society is possible and this is what we have keyed into and we thank God that what we are doing here is catching on in other markets as their leaders now try to replicate our methods here though we encounter opposition here and there” the chairman noted.
Also speaking, other members of the executive, including Dioguba Uchenna, recalled that the leadership of Chukwuneta is living up to the people’s expectation, having served as leader of the market evangelism group before his appointment as market leader.
Ubache noted that transparency has been enthroned in the market leadership to the extent that all funds are channelled into a dedicated bank account while periodic account is rendered to the people to carry them along in the scheme of things.
For Bob Onyeka, he recalled the several interventions initiated by the leadership to include periodic medical outreach in the market where over 1500 people benefited from free medications, consultations and medical laboratory tests. He said a standard health post was set up inside the market with drugs in stock and medical personnel like doctor and nurses on duty to attend to the health needs of the traders.
Umennnakenyi Christopher and the assistant secretary, Benjamine Akudo also recalled the innovations and humanitarian activities of the leadership in the market.
They recalled that the leadership has restored sanity at the drugs market through the flushing of touts and control of flooding in the market and catering for the welfare of the traders in various ways including a Christmas package where 200 bags of rice would be shared to some selected beneficiaries as was also done last year.
Sharing the sentiments of traders in the market, Stephen Idahosa lauded the executive for enthroning the culture of peace in the market and establishing accountability in their leadership.
He recalled too that the market executives stunned all when it remitted N50 million to government coffers last year. He described the achievement as the first of its kind in the history of the market, noting that other affiliate unions, numbering 25, remitted N25 million only before now to the government while the rest was diverted.
